


One Apple a Day Keeps The Doctor Away

by Murek



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-25
Updated: 2012-10-24
Packaged: 2017-11-15 01:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/521592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Murek/pseuds/Murek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When after almost deadly 'accident', the perfect, playboish Turian meets a human doctor and drags her into some intergalactic mess, things definitely won't be the same anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh well. Now the debut happens. Little nervous here. BUT first things first - this story was written for Sabaine, a dear, amazing friend who encouraged me to do this. So I did. And now she's kind enough to be also my beta (English is not my mother tongue but it's not an explanation, I realise that :]) and the one who gave me a prompt to fill.  
> Theros and Mia are sort of our 'babies'. And now I am really curious what I will do to them... :P  
> Sabaine, thank you SO much. And I'm really here, publishing, due to your actions and kindness. All hail to you!  
> So here we go:

Everything was a blur. A too dark, too quick to grasp blur. One minute he was standing with the batarian scientists and watching their new 'invention,' and in the second he was running from the safety room toward the laboratory; or what was left of it. Of course their stupid prototype blew. And he, Theros Ris'ono, should known better. What he didn't know but found out on his own soon enough, was that the gas sweeping from the metal tube was toxic. So three minutes after the experiment began Theros was coughing and curled on the floor of his lab, unable to stand or to take a deep breath.

Black dots floated just in front of his eyes and then the quickly moving blue tunic of his assistant. He heard something that sounded like a muffled 'Hold on, sir' and a strong grip pulling him out of the room.

And then he passed out.

"No, that level of oxygen could kill him. He's a Turian for God's sake, not an elephant."

Theros had no idea who the 'elephant' was but was sure enough that HE WAS a Turian, and that he needed air. Lots of air. Breathing was still a hard task to do on his own. His eyelids flickered, after few seconds he was able to open up his eyes. He saw greyish walls unknown to him. But he was quite sure that this was some kind of doctor's office, maybe even a hospital. The human female who was standing near him was tense and angry. Oh no, he didn't like angry physicians. And he didn't like angry females even more. This mixture was far more dangerous than the one which blew up in his laboratory.

He tried to move, one limb after another, this task wasn't easy either.

"Oh, don't move" he heard, in one, quick and graceful motion the female was at his bed and her head impending over his own. He tried to answer but his mandibles hit some plastic surface covering his jaw plates; which also covered his mandibles of course. Theros squinted as far as his eyes let him, curious about the object. Well, he wasn't breathing on his own after all. A plastic mask covered half of his face, had tubes which were attached to the big, orange machine. It wasn't very reassuring view. Almost absent-mindedly he made deep, dissatisfied rumble which buzzed in his chest. The physician smiled at him and relaxed a bit. After few glances over the tubes and machinery she nodded.

"Ok, I will remove this but take slow, deep breaths. And try not to talk for a minute."

Theros closed his eyes and held his thumb up in human confirmation gesture. Then he felt her soft touch just under his collar and the second one ghosting his temple. He spread his mandibles as far as he could and took just one quick breath.

"Slow! I told you S-L-O-W!" he heard few minutes later after a very hard coughing attack and many sips of liquids brought to him by an asari nurse. "I'm fine" he answered her careful, questioning look and felt how impaired his mandibles were. "You're rather far from fine but I'm surprised you're conscious. And talking. I must examine you, it's better to be safe than sorry."

"I'm sorry but do you have proper knowledge? About my species I mean." Uh-oh. Now she looked even more angry than before. And almost offended. Why, why he was so stupid to learn all these little human gestures and mimics? His life would be much easier without them, he could always tell that he didn't know. "Doctor, I'm truly grateful and all but my question is a good one, right? No offence please."

"None taken. I understand your concern," she sighed and took small, plastic card from her left pocket. "This is my medical license. My name is Mia Vormillan and I'm a specialist in turian physiology and a well-educated surgeon with experience in human, turian and asari. You can scan it in every patient station here."

"Good. I will do it later if you don't mind ma'am."

"Just let me know. Can I do the examination now? It won't kill you after all." She smirked at him and without hesitation touched few spots on his head.

Theros didn't know how to answer. Was she joking? Like really joking? This 'Mia the Doctor' looked like she knew what she was doing and her hands were soft and warm. She checked carefully all his plates in close proximity of his nose and then with one, smooth motion caught him just under his fringe and pulled down. He was too surprised to react and surrendered instantly to her firm but strong grasp. Well, the fringe and area underneath it was definitely an erogenous zone and he was quite convinced that she knew it. But her touch was delicate and far from erotic teasing, strictly medical. Now it was his turn to sigh.

"Yeah, yeah, don't be such a baby, I have to check your lungs and it's not my fault that turian lungs are much higher than ours. From experience I know also that it's better to listen to the air flow when a turian patient is bending. What's more your species is not very happy about such position."

Her logic was sound so he didn't fight her back. Yet, Theros couldn't remember any female who was allowed to touch him like this, or to be so dominant with him. Like EVER. And he was with quite many in his life.

"I'm not a baby it's just…" he begun but she slapped him gently in his left arm.

"Shhh. I'm trying to work here."

Theros' mandibles went slack with defeat and he shook his head. Helpless in human hands. Yes, a really great story to tell his colleagues. He held that thought. Colleagues… His pupils dilated and in one strong movement he was on his feet, holding the doctors hands in his.

"Batarians."

"I'm sorry?!" her anger was obvious, this time he even didn't need his extra skills.

"It was a set up. I was so stupid! Gas was the main effect of their machinery not the energy we preconceived!"

The woman snorted and tried to pull him back on the bed but he didn't move and she was definitely too weak to move a grown turian on her own

"Ma'am I'm afraid I must go. Like NOW." He said, pushing her not very gently towards the bed.  
In a few quick steps he was in the corridor, once again pushing everybody who was in his way out. He had never been in this part of the Huerta Memorial, but all in all he knew he should go to the transit hub.

Or where he thought he would go. Just before something hard hit him under his leg spur, in the centre of one of most painful areas on his body. The very ungraceful fall was inevitable. His leg buckled under him and without any warning he hit floor, first with his butt and then with his back.

"Nice, you didn't even groan," he heard the familiar voice which was coming closer with every word.

"You… human…" Theros tried to say something but every coherent thought was escaping his mind. VERY fast.

"Yeah, I am human. Who knew, huh?"

He opened his eyes, the pain let him go slowly and his other senses were coming back to him with every little breath he could take.

"You didn't give me opportunity to explain the situation to you. And also didn't hear my screams after you so…" she moved her arms in the most stupid human gesture he had ever seen which could only be translated as 'I don't know what I did really'

"Hell you don't" he thought as his eyes moved from her arms to her hands. She was holding a long, metal white stick with little two hangers on top of it. Oh. Realization hit him.

"You hit me with stand for drip-bags" it wasn't a question, short statement.

Her smile expanded.

"Well, you didn't leave me much choice. And I did tell you I'm an specialist in turian physiology."  
Yes, she did. No doubts here. Theros shook his head. She not only made him bend but also took him down with just one precise hit. It was amazing but mostly it was sort of terrifying.

"Now be a good turian scientist Theros Ris'ono, get up and please walk with me, well limp. I'm sure I can explain everything".

And so he did.


	2. Chapter 2

Theros was sitting in front of the Councillor Sparatus' office and once again was reviewing his notes. According to them, the Batarians really didn't try to kill him, they didn't try to kill anybody to be exact. The device brought to Theros' lab by his new four-eyed 'friends' was safe, examined thoroughly and should have worked properly. Should have, but definitely did not. He tapped one of his mandibles absent mindedly and sighed with exasperation. There still was too many questions and too little data to process.

The free flow of his thoughts was disrupted by silent click of pair of opening doors, he raised his eyes and saw quite a pretty creature emerging from Councillor's chambers. The female was more slender than muscled but that fitted her just perfectly, she had white gold rings on her fringe and the most piercing, blue eyes he ever saw, her almost silver skin tone was mesmerizing. Theros was ready to present his one of the best smiles with a hint of flirtation hidden underneath but almost choked when recognition finally hit him; she had Vakarian's markings.

"Yes Solana, of course I will try to find him," he heard and before anybody noticed his shocked gaze, he looked down to the notes on his lap.

"It's not quite like him, I know he's alive and all, but… but after all this mess, his withdrawal from the Spectre program… it's like I don't know him any more, like I used to," the pain in female's voice was palpable, undertones almost swollen with sadness and pain. Theros felt his embarrassment creeping to his throat.

"I will find him, I promise," Councillor Sparatus paused for one, brief moment and noticed Theros' presence. "Maybe you will be able to eat dinner with me today? We could discuss everything once again, more carefully. I feel I didn't have enough time for you."

"Thank you for your kind offer but I have a flight to Palaven this evening, the day after tomorrow it's my mother birthday. One of us should be with her…"

"In that case let me know when you'll be able to have long talk via vid-com."

Solana Vakarian, sister of the one Turian he really never wanted to see again, nodded and after short exchange of farewell gestures with Sparatus, walked away without even one glance in Theros' direction.

"Oh, she saw me."

"She definitely did. Don't be surprised by lack of manners there. She hates you. All Vakarians do."

Theros heard amusement in Councillor's sub vocals and waved his hand dismissively.  
"I don't blame her. After all Garrus Vakarian now is considered to be a good Turian, saviour of the Citadel. Nobody remembers his previous faults but I could name a good amount of them."

Sparatus shook his head and invited Theros to his office with one, quick gesture.

"She's looking for him? He's got lost?" The venom in his undertones was obvious but he didn't even try to hide it.

"It's not my right to discuss such private matters with you Ris'ono," The ice in Sparatus' voice was enough to bring Theros' thoughts back on the right track.

"I'm sorry Councillor, I won't mention it again."

"I hope so. So back to business – did you find who tampered with Batarians' device?"  
Theros raised his brow plate and hissed. "I didn't say that anybody did in any of our conversations, sir"

"You did not, that's very true, but the doctor did," Sparatus sat with grace behind his enormous desk.

"The doctor?" after few moments the information clicked together. "You mean from Huerta? How?"

"Calla Antos, your asari assistant, gave her sample of this gas which almost choked you to death."

"What?!" Theros stiffened in his chair with flat mandibles and his jaw dropping.

"Well, I believe, miss Vormillan told Antos that she must examine it for your sake."

"Spirits, and I thought that today would be a free day from crazy humans."

"I also think that you should know, that this crazy human, as you refer to miss Vormillan, saved your life."

"It was a cough for Spirits' sake."

Sparatus raised few documents just before his eyes and after few silent moments read aloud:  
"Theros Ris'ono. Turian. Brought to Huerta Memorial with severely burned air passages and lungs."

"What?!"

"How eloquent you are today. I am also quite confident that you will give me more 'whats'…"

"I woke up in Huerta with this ridiculous mask on my jaw plates and coughed a little. I went home the same day!" Theros stood up and came closer to the big window with an absolutely splendid view on the most luxurious part of Citadel. He touched the bulletproof glass carefully, and traced with the tip of his talon a flight of one of these colourful, little flying creatures who were living on Citadel, and to which humans referred as hummingbirds. "Yes, she was quite unhappy about my departure and wanted me there for few more days."

"Are you surprised? She saved you, believe me. As the report says, it all was just an experiment, no one knew how to treat you. She came up with idea of pyridine chelation and as you can see on your own, it worked."

"So… I should thank her" he started, unsure what to say.

"Maybe. But you should definitely work with her. She's got quite a lot of knowledge. I dug up few things about the doctor, she had her medical training in military facilities, she's seen some action in her life. Use her. I'm not able to assign a Spectre to this case, but definitely you should do investigation on your own."

Now Theros was confused. Councillor Sparatus just had given him rights to do whatever was necessary to solve this puzzle.

"I'm not a Spectre, I can't work like one of them," he pointed out.

"You had your Spectre training, it'll do. But try not to kill anyone."

"But why?"

"Well, Ris'ono, this Batarian magical device at first wasn't assigned to do the warm-up in your lab. By the explicit wishes of the Batarians' science committee, first showing was scheduled before… let's say bunch of important people. Like galaxy-level-important."

"By galaxy-level-important you mean…"

"I mean few Primarchs. Not to mention few admirals and well… myself. And salarians. And asaris. And humans, volus, hanar… Please, don't make me to name almost every sentient and self-aware species in universe."

"Sir, you're not trying to tell me that this device was prepared for an Galactic Expo?"

"That's exactly what I'm not saying, due to the fact that nobody should have such knowledge," he said diplomatically.

***

Two hours later Theros Ris'ono was standing in front of one of doctors room at the back of Huerta Memorial and thinking hard about how to explain to a squishy, soft-skinned little human that she had just dragged herself into some intergalactic mess with one, very unhappy, Turian scientist. After all she just tried to do her job. By a more or less fortunate incident she saved him and that alone complicated everything hard enough.

He raised his hand to knock on the door but before his mind transferred that wish more precisely to muscles of his fingers, the door slapped him hard in the face and one black figure launched itself to a run.

"You motherfucker!" a little, redhead human ran past after the black persona. She had blood all over her face and nasty bruises on her temple and cheeks.

With one quick motion Mia Vormillan pulled out a gun from under her doctors overall and shot still running figure.

Time slowed a little bit for Theros but he was almost sure that the bullet would reach its target…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks to Sabaine for beta-reading x  
> I'm not a scientist, all science stuff here is more or less made up by my twisted mind BUT I always try to put some true information in such things.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, surprise :) Lots of cookies for Sabaine - my beta, as always x

Sometimes, when really intense emotions take control, there is no way to prevent them from subvocalization. He knew that and experienced it many times before, mostly in bed, when his undertones were full of desire and arousal or during fight, with rage and primal battle tones. Mostly he didn't mind, after all this was in his DNA, inseparably tied with his Turian heritage; basically he was able to surpass them and reduce them to vibrations in his chest but sometimes he couldn't stifle them and really hated it. And this was precisely one of these unwanted and disliked times.

He felt sweet taste of blood on his tongue when he bit hard, embarrassed by his surprised growl. Oh, yes, uneasiness induced by presence of armed human wasn't good. Words of his former teachers came almost instantly 'Controlling your emotions doesn't mean ignoring them. It mean you recognize them and act on them when you deem it appropriate, not randomly and uncontrollably.'

Theros took deep, slow breath and glanced over human silhouette which was looming above body dressed in black.

"Did you kill it?" he asked resignedly.

"Yup. Sure I did. And it's a HE. I killed a human male."

He walked slowly to the girl and looked at the body stretched out on the ground. "I assume that he wasn't a patient of yours?" Theros crouched by the corpse and saw one entrance wound at the back of its head.

"Not quite. I would rather not kill my patients. He came to my office and started babbling about a gas sample," she met his gaze and wrinkled her nose. He still didn't understand why the human face was so dynamic and muscles so malleable, "and after rather short talk he attacked me, first with his bare hands, then with his knife."

She looked calm and confident but the stiffness of her arms and some gloom hiding in her eyes told him enough – the doctor was rather shocked and far from her safe zone. Theros stood up and pulled the gun from her hand.

"Good shooting, you know…" he said softly.

"I can take care of myself when I need to."

"I do not doubt that, but you're not used to shooting people." 

"No."

Theros looked around and scanned the corridor.

"No one will come Mr. Ris'ono. There's not many people at lunch hours in this part of hospital and in this wing to be precise."

"Good for us. And call me Theros please." Still holding her gun he carefully checked other rooms and hall situated down the corridor. After that he approached her office. She mimicked almost his every move and he really didn't mind that.

"I must search your room and after that we will call C-sec."

She nodded and licked her chapped lips, "Do what you must but this… man didn't get the thing he was after. The sample is in the lab I was putting it to some tests."

"That's even better," Theros sighed and looked into her eyes intensively. "I know it will sound not right and stupid but you must trust me for now on. And you must tell C-sec that he wanted to rob you. Nothing about samples, gases and such things. And I came here to thank you and happened to be the witness to all of this. Can you do that for me? Can you… lie for me?" he held his breath waiting for her answer.

"I am not stupid. It can't be a coincidence that right after I had ordered tests on the sample of some mysterious gas, that somebody tried to kill me. And you came, one of the main participants in this affair."

"Well, you're quite right here but…"

"Yes, of course, I don't know why am I agreeing to this, but I will tell nothing more than your far-fetched story. But I want something in return."

Well, he didn't assume that this will be simple. "I'm all ears."

"You'll tell me everything. And by everything I mean EVERYTHING" she repeated hard, "you know about this matter."

"I can agree to that."

"So we have a deal," she stated and gave him her hand. He took it and shook, smiling at her reassuringly.

He took her gently by her elbow and led her to, thankfully empty room next to her office. "Stay here and wait for me."

***

Night at the Citadel was almost as vivid as a day, artificial or not, that really wasn't a factor here. Theros could feel light breeze on his face plates and hear indistinct sounds somewhere beneath the balcony on which he was standing. He liked the view, almost as good and beautiful as the one he saw today in Councillor Sparatus' office. Mia, on the other hand was sitting absolutely still and uninterested, holding a mug full of brown liquid she called tea, a few steps behind him. He started toying the idea that he shouldn't tell her everything and she was too weak and scared for all of this, when he heard her move.

His gaze wandered to the girl and he sat back on his chair. He admitted to himself that she was quite an individual – hard, calm and confident during questioning in the C-sec station, and it was almost the truth. Theros once again saw then, that she also was barely holding up but refused any psychological help which was gently proposed by one of the C-sec agents leading her case. After his story, she was really calm and gave him a reassuring smile and drifted to her own thoughts and he gave her time for that.

When the C-sec officers released them, the last artificial rays of light were shining and warm evening had just started. Now it was almost midnight and he knew that restaurant in which they were sitting would close soon. Mia changed her position and looked at him.

"So what we should do now?"

He flared his mandibles, amused by her question. She used good pronoun –"we", that was promising.

"We will get the test results and see the outcome. There must be some leads."

She nodded and covered her eyes with her hand and rubbed hard.

"I'm tired, you know? And there better be some leads for us tomorrow. This… affair is big and has got quite high stakes."

"We agree there. But now I'm thinking about another issue," Theros' undertones betrayed him and worry slipped through them but she didn't looked like she noticed that.

Mia put her hand back on her mug and stared.

"I don't know why but somehow I know that this another issue is… me and it's not good." 

He snorted, well, so she was rather skilled with turian subvocalization but didn't know that.

"You're right. You are in danger, due to the fact that our enemies know that you suspect something about this toxic gas. And they tried to kill you once already."

"Yeah… well.. duly noted."

"So you can't stay at your place tonight."

That really got her attention. "What?! Are you kidding?"

"No, I'm afraid I'm not. Do you have some place when you can stay?"

"Erm, yes, but not at this time. Tomorrow morning I can call one of my friends. He's got big apartment in guarded building near Desine Wards."

Theros' mandibles moved in turian equivalent of human smile. "So tonight you will stay at my place. I've got quite comfortable couch, I don't sleep there often, hardly ever to be honest, but one night won't kill me and you can take my bed… and no, please do not argue, I'm tired too" he added, raising from his chair and poking his omni-tool, hailing the cab.

***

She did not argue as hard as he expected and fell asleep almost immediately. Now he was standing in his bedroom door and watching her sleep. Dim light caressed her bruised cheeks and long, red hair, now loosened and Theros noticed that she had quite lovely lips for a human. He shook his head quite fast and made few steps back.

Hell, of course that no female stayed in his apartment for just… sleeping and he was proud that his skills definitely kept females awake but one exception from that unwritten rule would not harm him after all. And Spritis, she was human and he never bed a human. He smiled to that thought – there always must be the first time – and at almost the same time slapped his temple in disbelief.  
Okey, after all that, he definitely will find some lady, asari maybe and will get laid.

Definitely.

Theros glanced one last time through the opened door at his guest, his eyes watching the covers rising with her every breath and one thought hit him really hard. There was a human who wasn't prejudiced and almost instantly trusted somebody she didn't know… an alien she didn't know.  
He quietly closed the door and went to sleep, thinking about Mia and that he definitely should talk with her about such reckless behavior tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all liked it :) And give me some feedback here please, I'd love to see your opinions!


End file.
